Altar Servers

Our Mission

Altar servers are guides in prayer in the liturgies. They serve in different liturgies especially in the liturgy of the Mass.
An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching, carrying and ringing the altar bell.

Responsibilities during Mass

Act as thurifer with burning incense, as bearers of lighted candles flanking another carrying the cross in the entrance procession.They hold the liturgical books for the celebrant when he is not at the altar. Bring and hold such things as books, thuribles, lavabo bowl and towel, patens, communion bowls, and microphones.During Gospel servers precede the priest or deacon to the ambo, carrying candles and incense.Servers arrange the corporal, the purificator, the chalice, the pall, and the Missal on the altar, and then assist the priest in receiving the bread and wine at the Liturgy of the Eucharist .When the priest washes his hands standing at the side of the altar, a server pours the water over them.A server rings a bell as a signal to the people shortly before the consecration, rings the bell also when the priest displays the consecrated host and chalice to the people.The servers receive the sign of peace from the priest or deacon within the sanctuary, and accompany the priest at the entrance procession.

Entrance

Servers are to act as thurifer with burning incense (if incense is used at the Mass), as bearers of lighted candles flanking another carrying the cross and as other participants in the entrance procession.

Gospel

The thurible is presented to the priest for him to put incense in it, and then for the proclamation of the Gospel servers precede the priest or deacon to the ambo, perhaps carrying candles and incense.

Liturgy

Servers arrange the corporal, the purificator, the chalice, the pall, and the Missal on the altar, and then assist the priest in receiving the bread and wine and perhaps other gifts that are presented to him.

Peace / Recessional

The servers receive the sign of peace from the priest or deacon within the sanctuary. The servers accompany the priest as at the entrance procession.

Formerly, only men and boys could serve at the altar outside of female religious houses, but canon 230 of the Code of Canon Law promulgated in 1983 allowed local ordinaries to permit girls and women to do so.

Our Community

It is a joy to welcome you to our wonderful Community of St. Pius X. We are a community with the mission of fostering the reign of God along the Border area. Our young community, founded in 1955, reflects the rich cultural diversity of the city. God has Blessed our parish with dedicated parishioners who offer leadership in ministry at all levels of parish life.